9th G rad e Dysto p i an Research P ap er

Name:_____________________

9th Grade Dystopian Research Paper

Assignment: Research a topic and write a short paper about your chosen topic.

Managing Your Time: To ensure that you do not become overwhelmed with the idea of the research paper, below is a timetable to ensure that you meet deadlines in time.

Prewriting

rafting sing Paper

Steps

1. Choose a topic 2. Locate Sources 3. Take Notes/ Highlight 4. Write a Thesis Statement 5. Write an Outline

6. Write a First Draft and Document Sources

7. Revise and Proofread

8. Final Paper/ Works Cited

# of Days it Should Take

2 days 3 days

1 ? weeks 2 days 1 week

1 ? week

1 ? week

3 days

Research Paper:

Your research paper will have a clear thesis statement. Thi s means that it will not just be

a report about your topic.

You will develop your thesis by synthesizing the information you find during your

research. The thesis itself is not something you find during research; it is the conclusion

you draw after putting all the research together. It is the answer to your essential

question.

Your research paper will be 2-4 pages long. This is not including the Works Cited page.

Your research paper will contain proper parenthetical citation, and a properly formatted

Works Cited page.

Your research paper will be organized in the same format as a standard academic essay:

Introduction: Capture attention, mention main areas of focus, clearly state thesis

Body: Clear topic sentences in each paragraph, plenty of specific support (drawn

from research)

Conclusion: Restate thesis and main points, close with a profound thought.

Essential Question and the Thesis Statement:

Your essential question is the one that your research paper will answer and explain. Essential questions are not yes or no questions, nor can it be answered merely by reporting the facts you find in your sources. If your topic is a comparison between two dystopian novels, consider which is more realistic. If your topic a totalitarian regime, think about how this is relatable to the novel.

Here are some essential questions that will lead to a good thesis statement:

How is the story of _____________similar to other dystopian novels? How does the story of __________ illustrate some of the common aspects found in the dystopian novel? How does the protagonist of ___________ illustrate the commonalities of the dystopian protagonist? How do we see the personality/influence of __________ in modern culture/literature/entertainment? How does the story of ___________ illustrate similarities and/or differences between historical events and modern occurrences? How does the story of ___________ illustrate similarities and/or differences of people during different times in history?

Your thesis statement is a complete sentence that answers your essential question. You then spend the rest of the paper providing organized and specific evidence to prove your thesis statement. The evidence comes from the facts you learned while researching your topic.

Essential Question: How does the governing class of Panem reflect the totalitarian government in The Trial?

The governing class of Panem is very similar to the totalitarian government in Kafka's The Trial in the way that they rule by fear, target specific groups, and censor the media. (The writer of this paper would then organize it into sections that explain the similarities between the two governing classes. Each body paragraph in the essay would compare the two with e xamples from the text to support all claims made in the thesis statement.)

Sources:

You need 3 sources for this paper; one must be a primary source. A primary source is an original text or literary work (novel, poem, short story, play). A secondary source is an analysis or commentary of a primary text. Secondary sources can contain someone's opinions of a primary source.

Before you use them, make sure to evaluate your sources! Always check the date and author of the source you'd like to use. You want the most up-to-date information, and you want it from experts ? not Wikipedia. Start in the library first, as books will contain the most factual information, but remember to cite your sources properly.

MLA Format: (12pt. Times New Roman font, double spaced, with 1" margins)

Your last name and the page number should go in the header, right-aligned.

To do this in Google Docs: (1) go to docs.; (2) click "MORE" on the righthand side below the blue header; (3) scroll down to "Education" and click "Report MLA;" (4) click to the left of the number "1" in the top-right corner and type your last name.

Your MLA heading goes on the first page only, and consists of (in this order): Your full name, my name, the subject and class period, and the date (day month year). For an example, see the Resource page of our class website.

All of your work submitted for this assignment must be typed in MLA format: 12 pt. Times New Roman font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, correct header, and Works Cited Page. For an example, please see our class website's Resources page:

Your paper should be between 2-4 pages total.*

* Your Works Cited page does not count towards your required page count.

Due Dates & Deadlines Below you'll find a list of dates to help keep yourself on track of what you should be working on and when different parts of your research paper are due. Due dates are not suggestions. You will lose points for every day your assignment is late; late constitutes any time after our assigned class period. Please review these dates carefully, and plan accordingly. If you have a serious concern, see me.

Topic:____________________________

Media Center Week December 19 - December 21 You will be researching in the Media Center this week. Use the computers to find information about your topic -- websites must end in .edu, .gov, or .org. Try to locate and take some notes on at least one book. Remember, you must use at least one book for your sources.

You will not be allowed to print your sources until December 21. You should save your findings in a Google doc. You will be instructed as to how you may accomplish this on December 19.

Taking Notes and Sources January 3- January 5 Use this time to do two important things: take notes on your topic and start creating your thesis by answering the questions pertaining to your topic below. On January 5, your printed sources with your highlights are due at the beginning of the class period.

Writing a Thesis Statement January 9 & January 10 We will be working on creating your thesis statement in class. Bring your sources and notes to help you. Your thesis statement is the last sentence of your introduction paragraph, and should be a 1-sentence summary of what your reader can expect to see in the rest of your paper. Your thesis statement will probably change as you continue writing. For now, I just want a rough thesis, we can change and strengthen it later. A typed version of your thesis statement is due on Google Classroom on January 10th before your class period. Your thesis statement should be typed and submitted appropriately.

Writing an Outline January 17 - January 20 We'll be filling in your research paper outline in class together. An outline helps you keep focused and stay on task while writing (and gives me an example of what I can expect from your final paper). Additionally, you should be carrying your research folder with you at all times.

January 20 Outline (due in class) Your final outline should be typed in MLA format and printed; it should look exactly like the outline you worked on in class.

Writing Your First Draft January 23 - January 27 Use this long weekend to start writing the first draft of your research paper in Google Docs.

January 27 First Draft (due on Google Classroom by 11:59 PM) Please use proper MLA format; you must have an original title picked out by this point (yes, you may change it for your final draft if you need to). Check your spelling, grammar, punctuation, and (especially) in-text citations.

Editing February 6 - February 10 As your first drafts are returned you will use the revisions and edit your first drafts for final papers. Use these 10+ days to look at the revisions made to your paper in Google Docs and continue writing. If you have specific questions or want some help in-person see me for time after school.

February 13 Final Paper (due in class) You must submit one physical copy to submit to me in class. Attached should be your Works Cited page.

February 14 Works Cited draft (due in class) Follow the instructions given in class and in the Media Center to create a list of your sources in MLA format using (please include the website URLS for your online sources). This is due along with your research paper.

Research Questions to Answer:

Totalitarian Regime: 1. What was the government like before ______ came into power? 2. Who is in power? How did he/she maintain power? 3. How do/did the citizens react to the regime? 4. If the regime is still in control today, how is this accomplished? 5. If the regime is no longer in existence, how did it lose control?

Dystopian Novel: 1. Where does this story take place? Why is that important or relevant? 2. What is the backstory? How did the governing class come into power? 3. What are the similarities and differences in the two novels?

Reality Television:: 1. Why is reality television so popular? 2. What is voyeurism? Exhibitionism? How are these relevant to the topic of reality television? 3. How are the participants on reality television shows similar to the tributes? Different?

Research Paper Outline: This is an outline for your outline...

I. Introduction A. Thesis Statement (revised): Essay topic and main ideas from body paragraphs

II. Body Paragraph 1: some sort of summary or clear explanation of details A. Topic Sentence: main idea of paragraph B. Detail #1: evidence from sources, end with parenthetical citation C. Transition and Detail #2 D. Transition and Detail #3

III. Body Paragraph 2: usually first piece of evidence to prove thesis statement A. Topic Sentence B. Detail #1 C. Transition and Detail #2 D. Transition and Detail #3

IV. Body Paragraph 3: second piece of evidence to prove thesis statement A. Topic Sentence

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